One part of what I do is review products. I love to do this to help all of you learn more about products before you spend you hard earned money on them. We recently received two new products from Mattel to try out. My kids were thrilled to be my test subjects for these (what kid wouldn’t) for the Hot Wheels ® Team Hot Wheels™ Total Control Racing™ Supercharged® Stunt Park and Ballstiks.

When I first picked up the box, I was a little hesitant as I could tell it was nothing but pieces I’d have to put together. It was a bit of a challenge to get the box opened, but once I did, I was very surprised. Mattel created this with parents in mind. They have all of the parts labeled – and you can actually find the letters as they are part of the piece rather than an annoying sticker which might peel off (or worse, never have made it onto the product).

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It took me around 15 minutes to put it together (factor in assistance from a 4, 5 and 8 year old, of course). Once it was assembled, we put the battery into the car and placed it onto the charge. It said it would take 30 minutes to charge the vehicle, but the lights turned off on ours within 10 minutes. Then it was go time.

My kids were estatic!!! They played with this toy for nearly an hour the first night and stopped only because it was bedtime. When they woke up, they ran to play with it again. I have 2 daughters and a son and they all 3 enjoyed playing with it. It was fun to watch them figure out how to make the car go backwards, how to slow it down and even make it jump into turbo mode.

Even now, when we had to move it out of the family room, they ask if they can go and play it. And they do – until the car needs to be recharged again. The only thing that would have made this unit even better is if it had come with more than one vehicle.

Hot Wheels Ballistiks Combat Cannon Product Review

We also had the opportunity to review the Hot Wheels Ballistiks Combat Cannon. This is a device where the children load a special vehicle into the launcher. Then, the pull down to lock and launch the ball out across the room. The once expanded car rolls up into a ball before it shoots across the floor.

The only problem we had with this product is that the cars jammed very easily inside of the unit. It was simple to dislodge them, but within around 30 minutes I had to do it 2 or 3 times. Once I showed the kids that they couldn’t try to slam the arm down and quickly launch the ball, it worked much better.

While this was a fun toy, it paled in comparison to the other one, so it was not played with as frequently. However, it is in my son’s room and I rarely see it sitting on the shelf – it is usually on the floor, so he is definitely playing with this toy.

You can order this right now on Amazon for $8.99 – free shipping for Prime members or if you spend $25 on qualifying Amazon purchases.

I'm Tracie! Several years ago, my husband and I found a way to work ourselves out of more than $35,000 in debt. As a result of our journey, we now help families learn to do the same. I share my tips on life, family and finances - to help others achieve this same goal of living a debt free life! Learn more about me and my family HERE.

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